Top Organic Gardening Advice From The Experts

If you are environmentally conscious and worried about the toxic effects of chemicals, organic gardening may be for you. Organic gardeners eschew the harsh chemicals and fertilizers used by large corporate farms. Organic gardening is also cheap and requires very little equipment. Here are some suggestions on helping you to become a organic gardening professional.


Want to get rid of weeds naturally? Use several layers of newspapers for weed control. Weeds need sunlight to grow. When you put newspaper over them, they suffocate from lack of sunlight. You can use newspapers because of how nicely they break down, they can be added into compost. You can then add a mulch layer right on top so that it looks more attractive.

To be most efficient in your gardening, always keep your tools close at hand. You can do this by using a bucket, or you can wear rugged pants or a gardening apron that has several pockets. Have shears, a trowel, gloves and other commonly used garden tools portable and easy to access.

Save your rainwater. It can help you to keep your garden healthy. It's a great way to supply water to your organic garden. Trap the rainwater in barrels, buckets or any other receptacles. This will help lower your water costs when you are watering your garden on a regular basis. Not only is rainwater free, but it is plentiful. You will see that rainwater can help your plants.


Add mulch to keep your soil healthy. Mulch can help protect your soil. This protective effect is especially important during the summer, as it protects the roots from the effects of the heat. Evaporation will be reduced and the soil will remain moist for longer when you water. It will also serve as a method of controlling unwanted weeds.

Keep the temperature in your home between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, if you are keeping or growing any kind of plant in your house. The temperature needs to remain warm so they may grow. If you are not willing to keep your house that warm during winter, you could always get the organic plants a heat lamp.


One odd but apparently useful tip for growing organic plants, is to lightly brush your plants with your fingers or a piece of cardboard 1-2 times a day. It sounds weird, but research has shown that handling the seedling like this often will make them grow bigger than seedlings that are ignored.


By planting garlic around your garden, you can deter bugs from taking up residence. The smell of garlic will deter insects from inhabiting your garden. You should ensure to plant garlic all around and near the plants which are likely to attract pests. An added benefit to planting garlic for pest control is that the pesticide is edible.

Wash your vegetables outdoors, and use the runoff in your garden. What you wash off of your fruit and veggies can be used again in the garden to enhance the nourishment of your plants. Avoid using cleansers and utensils when you clean the vegetables.

When planting seeds in containers, remember that the planting depth should be around three times bigger than the seed size. There are some seeds, however, that you should not cover at all, since they need sunlight to germinate. Among the seeds meeting this definition are ageratum and petunias. If you are not sure whether your seeds need to be exposed to sunlight, resources are usually provided with the seeds or can be found online.


If you want your starts to thrive, take the time to look underneath the ground. For example, tomato seedlings can develop bad root systems that will result in failed plants. These green starts will prohibit the plants from growing. You want to take note of this because starts like this will prohibit seedling growth.


A good tip to help your plants stay healthy and fight diseases is to use aspirin water. Crush and dissolve one and one-half 325mg tablets in two full gallons of plain water. You can simply spray them with the mixture to help aid them in fighting off diseases. Spraying should be one time every three weeks.

As these suggestions have shown you, anyone can have a successful organic garden. A successful garden takes plenty of work and patience, but it's all worth it when you get to taste your delicious results.